Sunday, July 2, 2017

A Great Day

When my friend
Caryn told the Arts Club about my project the dramaturge, Rachel, said I’d hear
back from her by the end of the month. However, in spite of having been told
never to end a sentence with a preposition, here is a sentence from the Arts
Club website’s page for submitting playwrights: “we will contact only those
writers whose script we have an interest in.”

Armed with
mighty deductive skills, and always graceful in defeat, I walked to Costco
where hot dogs and a refillable coke are only two bucks and I put rat poison in
the ketchup and mustard dispensers. Then I had to leave because the noise of
all the sirens was driving me mad.

What I really
did is write to Rachel. It’s the holiday weekend, but maybe she’ll replay and
confirm my suspicions. How I’d love to get a “we haven’t decided yet” response,
but I’m pretty far along in my keeping calm and carrying on. (Whoops, a final
preposition!)

Then I went to
visit Bruce to do the same walk as yesterday and today was just as lovely. And
Bruce was in fine form — in fact amazing form. We had a great visit ˆand he played the piano! It wasn’t perfect
by a long shot but he heard himself and if we do that regularly over time, he
will hear his progress.

But that’s not
what’s amazing. What’s truly amazing is the happiness I feel and see in him
each day when we get together. Yesterday in particular: He decided to clean
himself up so first he took his clippers and shaved with them — he had quite a
beard. He did the best he could and then he asked me to finish up.

Then he
lathered up and used his (dull) razor to shave himself and then, again, I
finished up and that was when, for me, things turned into a life moment.
Pulling and pushing his face in order to do a good job was so intimate and
personal. We crossed a barrier together.

Then I washed
his hair and then I gently rubbed a glycerin/aloe mixture all over his head and
face because he has such dry skin now and “cradle cap.” And then I earned my
angel wings: I clipped his fungal toenails. Not even his sister would do that,
but the podiatrist did not have an appointment for weeks and it had to be done.
There’s nothing I can’t do now.

And then Rob
picked me up from Bruce’s hospital and we went shopping. With him too, our
friendship has become very warm and affectionate. I, who was once so reticent
to walk my blind friend Peter arm-in-arm in public, loved walking with Rob beside me, his arm around me.

Then I came
home to a welcome message from Rachel (the Arts Club). It ain’t over. I’m so
happy; I love living in a state of hope. They’ve moved their reading week to
July 10th.

And now it’s
Sunday. It’s my favourite day of the week and it’s sunny — in fact, I’m
worried. I’m afraid we’re in for another drought this summer and more trees and
fish will die. It’s been sunny for a couple of weeks now and nothing but
sunshine and warm temperatures are predicted.